Flow measuring devices



Dec. 20, 1966 M. c. YOUNG 3,292,431

FLOW MEASURING DEVICES Dec. 20, 1966 M, C, YQUNG 3,292,431

FLOW MEASURING DEVICES Filed May l5, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 22/ 220 Fig. lO

gl? INV ENTOR Marcus .C.Young BY A Fig. 4 ATTONEYK.

Dec. 20, 1966 M. c. YOUNG 3,292,431

FLOW MEASURING DEVICES Filed May l5, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 3??? MONITOR ANO f37/ 37a INDICATOR EOUIPME NT l\ A .f\

2 2 i l l i I 5 13 f--------"258 D-C- 3541 357 SWITCH aaof POWER SUPPLY CA BLE SH EATH 227il l Marcus C. Young BY mf' 3,292,431 FLOW MEASURING DEVICES Marcus C. Young, Odessa, Tex., assignor to Cardinal Surveys Company, dessa, Tex., a corporation of Texas Filed May 15, 1964, Ser. No. 367,678 Claims. (Cl. 73--155) This invention relates to flow measuring devices and more particularly to a flow measuring device for measuring the rate and indicating the direction of flow of uids in a well bore, flow conductor and the like.

An object of this invention is to provide a measuring device or flow meter which measures the rate of ow of fluids in a well bore, flow conductor and the like, very accurately over a very wide range of the rate of flow.

Another object is to provide a new and improved ow meter illustrated and described in the patent to H. M. Buck et al., 2,856,006, which is movable through a well bore and has a flow passage, a turbine in the llow passage and an expansible seal or packer for closing the annular space between the internal surfaces of the well defining the well bore and the flow meter in order that all fluid ow in the well bore be directed through the ilow passage and past the turbine.

Still another object is to provide a ow meter having means operable by the turbine as it is rotated by uids flowing through its ow passage which produce signals indicating the direction and rate of flow of uids through the passage.

A further object is to provide a flow meter wherein the means for producing a signal does not have any component driven by the turbine which is in frictional engagement with any other component thereof in order that the flow meter indicate or measure very accurately the rate of flow of fluids over a wide range of rates of flow.

A further object is to provide a flow meter having a turbine having a pair of switches spaced in predetermined relation relative to each other and a magnet rotated successively past the switches for closing the switches as it moves therepast, one of the switches being connected in a circuit providing a signal of different amplitude than the circuit in which the other switch is connected whereby the direction of rotation of the turbine may be easily determined.

A still further object is to provide a flow meter having means for ensuring that only one switch is closed by the magnet at any position of the magnet relative to the two switches in order that the switches function properly regardless of the speed of movement of the magnet therepast.

A still further object is to provide a ow meter wherein the lower end of the expansible packer element when in collapsed position does not extend any substantial distance radially outwardly of the flow meter and the flow meter does not have any portions located therebelow which prevent inward movement of any lower end portions of the expansible element to preclude damage thereto during the movement of the flow meter past external obstructions in a well bore or a ow conductor especially when the lower end portion of the packer due to use or age tends to sag over lower portions of the ow meter.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the reading of the following description of a device constructed in accordance with the' i United N States Patent() F"ice vertical, sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 4 is a continuation of FIGURE 3 and is a vertical, sectional view of a lower portion of the ow meter;

FIGURE 5 is a continuation of FIGURE 4 and is a vertical, sectional view of the bottom portion of the ow meter;

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 6-6 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 7 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 7-7 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 8 is-a cross-sectional view taken on line 8-8 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 9 is a cross-sectional View taken on line 9-9 of FIGURE 5; n

FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the position assumed by the lower end portion of the packer after it has sagged from its initial position;

FIGURE ll is a schematic diagram of the electrical circuit employed in the operation of the flow meter;

FIGURE l2 is a chart illustrating the signals produced by the flow meter by the rotation of the turbine in one direction about its longitudinal axis;

FIGURE 13 `is a View similar to FIGURE 11 showing the signals produced by the ilow meter when the turbine is rotated in the opposite direction.

Referring now to the drawing, the flow meter 20 in-l cludes a housing 21 having a motor section 22, a pump section 23, a turbine section 24 and a packer section 25. rlhe motor housing section 22 includes a top body 26 threaded in the upper end of a hollow cylinder 27. The fish neck body 26 has a reduced upper portion 28 pro vided at its upper end with a head 29 which provides a downwardly facing annular shoulder 30. The sh neck Vbody has a longitudinal passage through which extends a cable 32 to the reversible motor 33 mounted in the motor housing section 22. The cable may include a metallic sheath 34 and an insulated inner conductor 35. The motor 33 is located within the hollow cylinder and -has a reduced lower portion 37 of its housing or stator telescoped in the upper portion of a tubular holder 38 and rigidly secured thereto by a set screw 40. The motor holder 38 has an intermediate portion thereof threaded in a tubular connector section 41 of the housing whose upper reduced portion is threaded in the cylinder 27. The drive shaft -42 of the motor is connected to a cou pling 43 by a pin 44. An opening in the lower end of the coupling is hexagonal in cross section in order to engage with the upper end portion of a shaft 45 which is also hexagonal in cross section. The shaft 45 extends through the inner race of a thrust bearing 46 and is held against upward movement by the engagement of its external ange'48 with the inner race. FIIhe shaft 45 has a lower end portion 49 of eccentric or hexagonal cross section for driving a cam 50 disposed in a hollow cylinder 52 of the pump thousing section'whose upper end is threaded on the reduced lower end portion of the connector housing section 41.

A seal assembly 54 is disposed in the connector housing section 41 and includes a bronze bushing 55, an O-ring 56, felt packing 57 and a tubular holder 58 in which the bushing, the O-ring and the packing are disposed. An VO-ring 60 disposed in an external recess of the holder seals between the holder and the housing connector section 41. A plurality of grease escape ports 62 are provided in the bronze bushing 55 to transmit fluid pressure to the O-ring 56 todeform the O-ring and cause a positive fluid seal between the rotating shaft 45 and the holder 58 when fluid pressure is exerted below the packing assembly 54. The holder 58 is rigidly secured to the connector housing section .by a shaftaligning `washer or plate 64 rigidly secured to the connector housing section by means of screws 65.

A hollow cylinder or sleeve 67 is disposed in the cylinder 52 of the pump housing section 23 and its lower end is threaded on an upwardly extending portion 68 of a connector lhousing section 69 whose reduced upper end portion is threaded into the cylinder 52. The upper end of the sleeve 67 is rigidly secured, as by screws 70, to acam shaft Iholder 71. The sleeve 67 is provided intermediate its ends with longitudinal slits or slots 73 and 74 and adjacent its lower end with fluid entry and drain slits or apertures 75. The cylinder 52 of the pump housing section has lateral ports 77 adjacent the ports 75 of the sleeve 67. The cam shaft iholder 71 has a sleeve bearing 80 and a longitudinally offset passage 81 which communicates with the sleeve 67 at its lupper end. A shaft 84 extends through the bearing 80 and the cam 50 and is attached at its upper end to the cam by means of a pin 85. A washer 88 disposed about the shaft 84 serves as a bearing between the cam 50 and the cam shaft holder.

The cam has an upward tubularextension 90 in whose' upper end is disposed an engaging member 92 whose upper end is provided with an upwardly opening recess of hexagonal cross section in which is received nonrotatably the end portion 49 of the shaft 45. The engaging member 92 is held in the extension by a pin 95 whose opposite ends extend into the longitudinally extending slots 96 of the tubular extension. The pin 95 permits limited longitudinal movement of the engaging member 92 relative to the extension and therefore of the cam relative to the shaft 45. A spring 98 disposed in the tubular extension 90 biases the engaging member 92 upwardly therein, its upper end engaging the lower end of the engaging member and its lower end engaging the upper end of the shaft 84.

The lower end of the shaft 84 is connected to a pawl holder 100 by means of a pin 101. The pawl holder 100 carries two identical but oppositely directed pawls 103 and 104 mounted on a common pin 105. A pawl biasing spring 106 is mounted on a pin 108. The lower end of the pawl holder extends into an upwardly opening recess 109 of a pawl follower 110. The pawl follower is provided with a key 112 which projects internally from the pawl follower wall and is engageable by thel pawls. A plurality of drain holes 113 of the pawl follower permit drainage of fluid or sediment which may enter into the pawl follower.

The lower threaded end portion of the pawl follower extends through a threaded bore of a wall member 114 disposed in the sleeve 67 between the longitudinal slots 73 and 74 and rigidly secured to the sleeve by the screws 116. The lower end portion 118 of the pawl holder extends rotatably through a pump cylinder head 119 and is held against upward longitudinal movement relative to the lhead by a Washer 120 secured to the lower end portion of the pawl holder, by any suitable means, as by a pin 121. The pawl .holder is held against downward movement relative to the pump cylinder head by its downwardly facing annular shoulder 122. The pump head 119 is rigidly secured to the upper end of the pump cylinder 124 by a screw 125 whose head is free to move longit-udinally in a longitudinal slot 127 of the sleeve 67.

The lower end of the pump cylinder is threaded on the upper end of a tubular stinger 129. The stinger 129 has uid exhaust ports 130 and an O-ring 131 which seals between the stinger and the connector body section 69 when the lower end portion of the stinger moves downwardly into the longitudinal passage 133 of the connector body section 69. The upper end of the stinger 129 supports a spring 135 which in turn bears against a check valve or member 136 positioned in the lower portion of the pump cylinder 124. The check member permits only p downward ow through the port 137 of the pump cylinder from its chamber 138. A piston 140 which is slidably.

movable in the pump cylinder 124 has a uid entry port 141, a check member or valve 142, a biasing spring 143,

a cup washer or seal 145 and a retainer 144 for the seal The piston is connected to a piston rod 148 by a pin 149. l The and the spring threadedly connected to the` piston.

piston rod has a lateral portion which extends outwardly through the longitudinal slot 150 of the pump cylinder 124 and the slot 74 of the sleeve 67. The piston rod` adjacent'its upper end has an inwardly extending axle 151 on which is rotatably mounted a cam follower wheel 152 which moves in an external continuous helical slot 153 of the cam 50. The upper end portion of the piston rod is movable longitudinally in an internal recess by key-way 154 of a cylinder 155 telescoped in the pump housing cylinder 152 and rigidly secured to the cam shaft holder 71 by a screw 157.

It will now be apparent that the upper motor and pump sections of the flow meter 20 described hereinabove are identical to the upper sections of the ow meter illlustrated and described in the patent to H. L. Buck et al.,`

No. 2,856,006 and accordingly no further detailed 'de- 2 scription thereof will be made herein. vAs is `fully described in Patent No. 2,856,006, when pump motor 33` is energized and causes rotation of the shaft 45 in one direction, the shaft and the cam 50 are also rotated. Rotation of the shaft 80 in such one direction also causes.

the rotation of the pawl follower 110 which moves down` wardly in the wall member 114 until the pawl 103 moves over the top of key 112. This downward movement of the pawl follower moves the pump cylinder 124 and the stinger 129 downwardly until the O-ring 131 sealingly engages the internal surfaces of the connector housing section 69 defining the passage 133. Liquid is then pumped from the exterior of the ow meter into the chamber 138, as the piston 140 reciprocates, through the slots 77, 74 and 150 and the port141 of the piston past` the check valve 142 and is pumped from the, chamber 138 i through port 137 past the check valve 136 to the passage of the stinger and into the passage 133.

When the direction of rotation of the motor 33 is subsequently reversed, by reversing the polarity of direct current voltage applied across the conductor 35 `and the i metal sheath 34 of the cable 32, the direction of rotation of the pawl holder is also reversed. This causes the pawl 104 to rotate the pawl follower in. the opposite direction and causes it to move upwardly with respect to the wall member 114 due to its threaded connection therewith. This causes pump cylinder 124 to be moved 1 upwardly until the ports of the stinger 129 are withdrawn from the passage 133. Once the stinger has been raised to the upper posittion illustrated in FIGURE 2, uid may ow upwardly from the passage 133 through the stinger, the ports 130 of the stinger, and the port 75 and 77 and to the exterior of the ow meter.

The lower end of the passage 133 of the connector housing section 69 communicates with the upper end of longitudinal passage of the next lower housing sec-` tion 162 which extends upwardly into the connector body section 69 and is theadedly secured thereto as at 163. The housing section 162 has a reduced upper end portion 164 provided with an external annular recess in which is disposed an O-ring 165 which seals between the upper por-` sections 162 and 171, respectively, on opposite sides of au` annular chamber 177 defined thereby. The housing sec-` tion 171 is threaded to the section 162 as at 180. and is provided with a pair of external annular recesses in which are disposed O-rings 181 which seal between the two body sections. The lower end of the passage 170 communicates with a lateral port 182 of the housing section which opens into the upper end of a longitudinal passage 185 provided by an external longitudinal recess 186 of the body housing section 171 and an arcuate plate 188 secured in fluid tight relationship to the body section as by the screws 189 and any suitable gasket or seal means. The lower end of the passage communicates through the lateral port 190 of the bottom housing section 191 with the upper end of the passage 192 of a duct 193 extending through a longitudinal passage 194 of the housing section 191 and secured thereto, as lby welding. The lower end of the passage 192 of the duct communicates through a lateral port 196 of the bottom housing section with an annular chamber or space 200 between the exterior of the bottom housing section and a tubular packer 201. The cross sectional area of the duct 193 is quite small compared to the cross sectional area of the passage 194 and thus does not unduly restrict or impede fluid flow through the passage. The passages 133, 160, 167 and 170, the port 182, the passage 186, the port 190, the passage 192 and the port 196 thus constitute a continuous passage P through which liquid pumped by the pump piston 140 is transmitted to the packer chamber 200 past the turbine 210 mounted in the main longitudinal passage 211 of the housing section 171. The lower end of the packer is disposed in an external annular recess 214 defined by the external annular flanges 215 and 216 of the bottom housing section 191 and is rigidly secured thereto by a suitable clamp ring 217. If desired, the lower end of the packer may also be secured thereto to the housing by any suitable adhesive or sealing agent.

The packer may consist of a preformed resilient tubular element having a maximum diameter approximating the diameter of the bore hole of the well wherein the flow measurement is to be made. The upper end of the packer element is clamped between a serrated surface 219 of the bottom housing section and the outwardly inclined surface 220 of a clamp sleeve 221 and held in compressed seal tight relationship therewith. The clamp sleeve is secured in clamping position by a nut 222 threaded as at 223, on the bottom housing section.

A turbine assembly 225 which includes the turbine 210 is disposed in the passage 228 of the housing section 171 and includes upper and lower stator deflectors 229 and 230. The upper stator deflector 229 includes concentric outer and inner sleeves 232 and 233 and two or more helical vanes 234 which extend between and are connected to the two sleeves. The lower stator deflector 230 similarly includes outer and inner sleeves 236 and 237 and a pair of helical vanes 238 connected to and extending between the two sleeves. A spacer ring 240 is disposed between the two outer sleeves 232 and 236. Upward movement of the outer sleeve 232 of the upper deflector is limited by the engagement of its top annular shoulder with the downwardly facing annular stop shoulder 241 of the housing section 171. Downward movement of the stator deflectors and the spacer ring is limited by a lock ring 234 threaded in the lower end of the housing section 171 whose top annular shoulder 244 engages the Va turbine shaft 249 which extends through the turbine sleeve and is rigidly secured thereto by a pin 250. The turbine shaft has a reduced needle pivot 251 at its lower end which engages a suitable bearing 252 disposed in an upwardly opening recess of the bearing support or rod 253 threaded in tne inner sleeve 237 of the lower stator deflector 230. The turbine shaft extends upwardly through the upper portion of reduced diameter of the passage 228 of the housing section 171 and is .provided at its upper end with a reduced needle pivot 257 which is receivable in the usual conical recess of a bearing 258 mounted in a downwardly opening recess of a bearing support 259 threaded in a suitable bore 260 of the housing section 171. The upper end of the bearing support 259 is disposed in the passage below the lateral .port 182 of the housing section 171 and has an external annular flange 263 provided with an external annular recess in which is disposed an` O-ring 264 which seals between the flange and the internal surfaces of the housing section 171 defining the lower end of the passage 170. Neither the turbine sleeve nor its vanes have any frictional contact with any of the surfaces of the upper and lower stator deflectors and the only frictional force tending to restrain rotation of the turbine shaft is at the points of contact of the needle pivots 238 and 257 with the bearings.

The housing section 171 above the upper stator deflector 229 has a plurality of radially outwardly opening slots or ports 265 through which fluids may flow between the passage 228 and the exterior of the flow meter. The bottom housing section 224 has an intermediate threaded portion 270 threadedly secured in the lower end of section 171 and an upper reduced portion 271 provided with a pair of external annular recesses in which are disposed O-rings 272 and 273 which seal between the reduced portion and the housing section 171 above and below the lateral port 190 `which communicates with the lower end of the passage 185. The housing section 171 is preferably provided with internal recess 275 which opens to the lower end of the recess 188 of the housing section 171 to facilitate flow of fluid between the passage and the lport 196 and in order that the port 196 need not be aligned with the lower end of `the recess 188.

The passage 194 of the bottom housing section opens downwardly. A nose 276 which extends downwardly from the lower end portion of the passage is formed of two vanes or blades 277 and 278 whose outer surfaces slope convergently downwardly and provide cam surfaces for guiding the movement of flow meter past obstructions in a flow conductor or well bore.

It will be apparent that the ports 265, the passage 228 and the passage 194 of the bottom housing section 191 constitute a turbine flow passage T and that fluids flowing through the turbine passage T, due to the provision of the upper and lower stator deflectors cause the direction of rotation of the turbine to vary with the direction of flow of fluids through the turbine passage T. For example, if fluids flow downwardly through the turbine passage T, the upper stator deflector 229 causes the fluids to impinge on the vanes of the turbine in such manner that the turbine is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction, FIGURE 8, and when the fluids are flowing upwardly through the turbine passage T the lower stator deflector causes the liquids to impinge on the vanes of the turbine in such manner as to cause the turbine to rotate .in a clockwise direction.

It will thus be seen that the direction of rotation of the turbine varies in accordance with the direction of flow of fluid through the turbine flow passage T, which of course extends through the packer 201, so that when the flow meter is in a flow conductor or a well bore with its packer 201 in expanded condition closing the annulus between the internal surfaces of the well bore or of the flow conductor and the housing of the flow meter, all fluid flow through the bore at the location of the flow meter must take place through the turbine passage T and causes the turbine to rotate in one direction when the flow is downwardly through the `turbine passage and in the opposite direction when the flow is upwardly through the passage. The speed of rotation of the turbine of course varies in accordance with the rate of flow of fluid through the turbine passage.

The turbine shaft-249 has a cylindrical rotor 280 rigidly secured thereto by a pin 281. The rotor 280 is disposed in the reduced upper portion of the passage 228 of the housing section 171 above the inner ends of the upwardly opening ports 265 of the housing section 171 so that the rotor 280 itself does not interfere with the iiow of uids through the turbine passage. The rotor has a permanent magnet 282 rigidly secured in an external longitudinal slot thereof. The housing section 171, which is formed of a non-magnetic substance such as brass, has a pair of upwardly opening recesses 285 and 286 in which are disposed switches 287 and 288, respectively, which are closable by the magnet 282 of the rotor 280 as it rotates therepast.

The recesses are spaced in predetermined angular relationship relative to each other about the axis of rotation in order that a predetermined relationship or ratio exist between the periods of time elapsing between the closings of the two switches during each revolution of the rotor and turbine. For example, the two switches may be spaced 120 degrees and 240 degrees apart about the axis of rotation of the turbine so that the turbine must rotate 120 degrees after the switch 187 has been closed by the permanent magnet 282 before the switch 188 is closed thereby and then must rotate through an additional angle of 240 degrees before the switch 187 is again closed by the permanent mag-net.

Each of the switches 287 and 288 includes a hermetically sealed envelope 290 of glass or the like, a resilient conductive leaf spring or contact 292 of magnetic substance whose lower end is secured to a terminal 293 which extends outwardly of the lower end of the envelope and has a coiled spring portion 294 which engages the bottom shoulder 295 of its bore 285 to resiliently hold the switch assembly in the recess and to establish electric contact with the housing section 171. The envelope 282 is held against upward movement by an insulator sleeve 297 inserted in the upper end of the bore 285 or 286 whose lower end engages the upper end of the envelope to hold the envelope against upward movement in its bore of the housing section. A terminal 299 extends inwardly through the upper end of the envelope and is connected to the stationary contact 300 of the switch and to a conductor 301 which extends upwardly through the insulator tube. The switch 288 has a resistance 302 associated therewith and connected in series therewith between the upper portion of its terminal 293 and its spring 294.

The stationary contact 300 of the switches 287 and 288 are connected to the insulated conductor 35 of the cable 32 by suitable conductors which extend through passages or bores of the various housing sections. Contact assemblies 303 and 304 may provide suitable electrical connections for such conductors between adjacent ends of adjacent housing sections. Each contact assembly 303 includes a tubular insulator block 305 disposed in the upper enlarged end portion of the bore 285 or 286 of the housing section 171 with its downward movement being limited by the engagement of its lower end with the upwardly facing annular shoulder 307 of the housing section 171. The insulator block has an external annular recess in which is disposed an O-ring 308 which seals between the block and the housing section 171.- The metal connector 310 has a dependent stud 311 which is threaded in the upper end of the insulator block 305 and a rounded reduced contact portion 312 which engages an annular contact ring 313 bonded or otherwise secured to an insulator support block 314 press-tted or otherwise rigidly secured in a suitably recess of the connector housing section 162. The connector 310 is, of course, of smaller diameter than the internal diameter of the enlarged upper portion of the bore 285 or 286 and is therefore not in contact with the housing section 171 and the conductor 301 is connected to its lower end. The contact ring 313 may be connected to another contact assemblyy at the opposite end of the connector housing section 162 such as the contact assembly 304 by a conductor 320 which extends through a suitable passage` orbore of the housing section 162 and a suitable aper-` ture in an insulator block 322 mounted in a lateral recess: 324 of the housing section 162. The conductor is connected to a movable contact 325 disposed in a bore of: the insulator block and which is biased outwardly, by a spring 327 of a suitable non-conductive substance such as plastic. 330 bonded in a suitable recess of an insulator ring 331 which in turn is pressed fitted or otherwise secured .in the housing section 69. O-rings such as the O-rings 332 and 333 are disposed in suitable external recesses of one of the telescoped sections of housing section to seal therebetween. The contact ring, of course, has a conductor 335 connected thereto which extends through any suitable passage or bore 335 of the housing section in which the insulator ring 331 is press-fitted `and extends to its opposite ends.

It will be apparent that although only the housing seci tions 171, 162 and 69 have been shown providedwith such control assemblies 303 and 304 by way of example, either a contact assembly 303 or a contact assembly 304 may be provided at each connection of two sections of the housing to permit easy assembly and disassembly of the ow meter.

A pair of magnetic shunts 340 and 341 of soft iron or the like are inserted in suitable slots of the housing section 171 between the two bores 285 and 286 to shunt the magnetic ilux or field of the magnet from each switch previously closed thereby and cause it to open before the other switch closes as the magnet is moved therepast.

For example, if the rotor, which is of brass or other.y

eld is immediately shunted from the switch 287 to the AS the 1 shunt 240 whereupon the switch 287 opens. magnet continues to move, its magnetic field is shunted through the shunt 241 and then, as it moves into radial alignment with the switch 288, its field closes the switch 288. The shunts are disposed between the switches at the locations wherein the switches are positioned closed to one another and ensure that either switch which has been closed by the magnet is open before the other switch is closed regardless of the direction of movement of the magnet therepast.

turbine passage is great.v

A relay 350, FIGURE 11, is also mounted within the motor housing section 22 and includes a coil 351 and a movable contact 352. A resistance 353 `which is coni nected in series with the coil 351 and the insulated conductor 35 of the cable are also mounted in the motor housing section. The relay coil is connectable across a high voltage direct current source or power supply 354 through a double pole switch 355 when its movable con-` tacts 357 and 358 engage either the stationary contacts 1 or 3. The stationary contacts 1 and 3 of the switch 355 engageable by the movable contact 357 are connected by the conductors 359 and 360, respectively, to the power supply 354 while the stationary contacts 1 and 3 engageable by the movable switch contact 358 are connected to the power supply by the conductors 360`and359,`

respectively.

It will be apparent that when the movable contacts of the switch are moved to the positions wherein they engage the stationary contacts 1 0r 3, the relay coil is energized by a relatively high voltage which causes current ow through the relay coil and the contact 352 is moved downwardly out of its normal upper position, FIGURE 11,`

wherein it engages the stationary contact 365 and into engagement with the lower stationary contact 365 and The contact 325 engages a conductor ring v The shunts are necessary to permit proper operation of the switches during rapid rotation of` the rotor when the rate of ow of uids through the into engagement with the lower stationary contact 366 of the relay. One side of the motor 33 is then con nected to the insulated conductor 35 of the cable 32 through the movable contact 352 and the conductor 368 while its other side is connected to the other conductor or sheath 34 of the cable through the conductor 369 and the housing of the flow meter.

It will now be apparent that when the switch 355 is in one extreme position wherein its movable contacts 357 and 358 engage their associated contacts 1, the positive side of the power supply is connected to the insulated cable conductor 35 iof the cable and its negative side is connected to the sheath 34. When the switch is moved to its other extreme position wherein its movable contacts engage the stationary contacts 3, the negative side of the direct current power supply is connected to the insulated conductor 35 and the positive side to the sheath so that the direction of ow of current through the motor may be reversed by moving the movable switch contacts from engagement with the contacts 1 and into engagement with the contacts 3, and vice versa.

When the switch is in the position wherein its movable contacts 357 and 358 are in the positions wherein they engage the middle or intermediate stationary contacts 2, the conductor 35 is connected to one side of the input circuit of the monitor and indicator equipment 371 through the conductor 372 and movable switch contact 357 and the sheath is connected to the other side of the monitor and indicator equipment through the conductor 373, the movable switch Contact 358 and the conductor 374. The monitor and indicator equipment includes a source of relatively low voltage, for example, three volts, which is applied across the input circuit whenever such input circuit is closed by either one of the switches 187 and 188 since the relay coil 351, which now also has the low voltage applied thereto, will not move its contact 352 downwardly out of engagement with the stationary contact 365 when energized by such low voltage. The stationary contact 365 of the relay is connected to the stationary contacts 300 of the rotor operated switches 287 and 288 through a conductor 376, a unidirectional conducting device, such as a diode 378, a conductor 379, a resistance 380 and the conductor 381. The switch 287 when closed connects the conductor to the sheath 34 through its terminal 293. The switch 288 when closed connects the conductor to the sheath through its terminal 293, a resistance 395 and the spring 295 and it will thus be apparent that a smaller current will liow through the input circuit when the switch 288 is closed than when the switch 287 is closed. A resistance 384 is connected between ground and the common connection of the diode 378 and the resistance 384 by the conductors 385 and `386 to suppress any sparking between the contacts of the relay.

In use, the ow meter 20 is lowered through a iiow conductor, such as the tubing of a well whose lower end is positioned above the bottom of the well bore, to a position in the well bore whereat it is desired todiscover the direction and measure the rate of flow of iluids in the -well bore.

During the movement of the flow meter in the well, the switch 355 may be in its middle position wherein its movable contacts 357 and 358 engage stationary contacts 1 or 3, or may be in an open position wherein its movable controls do not contact any of its stationary contacts. As a result the resilient tubular packer is in the retracted position illustrated in FIGURES l through 5. When the flow meter is positioned at the desired location in the well bore below the lower end of the tubing, the switch is moved to one of its operative positions, `for example, the position wherein its movable contacts engage the stationary contacts 1. The coil 351 of the relay 350 is then energized and moves its contact 352 downwardly into engagement with its stationary contact 366. The pump motor 33 is thus energized and pumps fluids through the `pump passage P into the chamber 200 between the packer 201 and the housing. The packer is expanded by the uid until it engages the internal surfaces dening the well bore and closes the annular space between the housing 21 and the well bore between the opposite open ends of the turbine passage.

If the tluids in the well bore are now owing upwardly at the location of the ow meter, they flow through the turbine passage and past the turbine and cause the turbine to rotate in a clockwise direction, FIGURE 8. During each such clockwise rotation of the turbine, the rotor is also rotated through 360 degrees and the magnet 282 in moving momentarily and successively closes the switches 287 and 288. Since the circuit of the switch 288 has the resistance 392 connected therein the current in the signal input circuit of the Monitor and Indicator Equipment across the conductors 372 and 374, will be of greater amplitude when the switch 287 is closed than when the switch 288 is closed, as is illustrated in `FIGURE 12. In addition, the pulses 287s and 288a produced when the switches 287 and 288, respectively are closed, have the time and the amplitude relationships illustrated in FIG- URE 12 since when the magnet moves in a clockwise direction, FIGURE 7, and closes the switch 287, it`rotates only through degrees into radial alignment with the switch 288 and closes it and then rotates through 240 degrees until it again closes the switch 287a, As a result, the two time intervals between each pair of signal pulses during successive closings of the two switches are diferent. and indicate the direction of rotation of the turbine.

The speed of rotation of the turbine will, of course, vary directly in accordance with the rate of flow of fluids through the turbine passage and thus the rate of ilow of fluids in the well bore at the location of the ow meter is easily determined by the monitor and indicator equipment which may include any suitable recorder and rate of flow indicating devices operable responsive to the signals. The monitor and indicator equipment may also include an oscilloscope for providing a continuous visual indication of the signals in the signal input circuit of the monitor and indicator equipment so that the operator may immediately know that the uids in the well at the location of the How meter are flowing upwardly. If the rate of flow of the fluids is very rapid, the turbine and the rotor of course rotate very rapidly and if the magnetic shunts 240 and 241 were not provided, the switch 287 would not open before the switch 288 closed due to the fact that the magnetic eld of the magnet would tend to maintain it closed until it had moved a substantial distance out of radial alignment with the switch 287 andV due to the inertia of the switch. The shunt 240, however, shunts the magnetic field away from the switch 287 as the magnet 282 moves out of radial alignment therewith. In addition, the shunt 241 will prevent the magnetic flux from actuating the switch 288 until the magnet 287 moves into radial alignment with the switch 288. Thus both shunts tend to prevent the simultaneous closure of the two switches which could occur at very high speeds of rotation of the turbine and the rotor.

When the direction and the rate of ilow of thevwell uids at a particular -location in the well bore has been determined by the monitor and indicator equipment, the switch 355 is moved to the position wherein its movable contacts 357 and 358 engage its stationary contacts 3 and the relay coil 351 is again energized by a high voltage and moves its contact 352 again downwardly. This time, however, the direction of flow of electric current through the motor 33 is reversed from that when the switch contacts 357 and 358 engage the stationary contact 1, and t-he rotor rotates in its opposite direction to move the stinger 129 upwardly whereupon the uid trapped in the chamber 201 is free to flow outwardly and the packer retracts to its retracted position from its expanded position. A predetermined short interval of time after the movement of the switch 355 to the position wherein its movable contacts engage a stationary contact 3, and the packer has retracted, the contacts 357 and 358 are again moved to the contacts 2 or intermediate open positions and the packer is then moved in the well to another position. The movable contacts 357 and 358 are moved to the contacts 1 to cause the pump to expand the packer. If the fluids in the well bore are now flowing in a downward direction through the turbine passage, t-he direction of rotation of the turbine and the rotor is counter clockwise, FIGURES 7 and S, and the amplitude and time relation of the pulses 288a and 287a is that illustrated in FIGURE 12 wherein the signal of the smaller amplitude 288:1 caused by the closing of the switch 288 precedes the signal 287a caused by the closing of the switch 287 during each complete revolution of the turbine.

It will thus be seen that since the time intervals between the signals produced by the successive closings of the two switches 287 and 288 vary in accordance with the direction of flow of the uids the direction as well as the rate of iiow of iiuids through the turbine passageand is easily determined by the use of only two switches 287 and 288.

The packer 201 is of course expanded many times during its useful life and will, after prolonged usage, tend to lose some of its resilience so that its lower por= tions sag or fold as at 400. Since the packer is located about the lower end portion of reduced external'diameter of the ow meter housing, such fold is free to move inwardly or encountering internal obstructions during the upward movement of the ow meter in the well and is not damaged due to such contact as could occur if the housing therebelow were of larger external diameter as would be necessary if the turbine were located in the housing above the packer.

'In addition, it is desirable for the packer to be disposed about the lowermost end portion of the tlow meter housing preferably of smaller external diameter than the portion thereof above the packer in order thatshould the packer rupture or be ruptured by engagement with internal obstructions of the well tubing or the well bore, the lower portions of such ruptured packer are free to hang downwardly of the lower end of the housing and are not likely to wedge between the housing and the well tubing or the well bore and prevent upward removal of the owmeter which they might if the packer were mounted about an intermediate portion of the housing.

The foregoing description of the invention is explanatory only, and changes in the details of the construction illustrated may be made by those skilled in the art, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A flow meter including: an elongate housing having a longitudinally extending turbine passage opening to the exterior of the housing at the lower end of said housing, said housing having a lateral port communicating said turbine passage to the exterior of said housing intermediate longitudinally spaced ends of said turbine passage; a turbine in said turbine passage below said lateral port and rotatable by fluids owing throughsaid turbine passage; rotor means mounted in said turbine passage above the inner end of said lateral port and out of the path of iiow of uids through said turbine passage, said rotor means being rotatable by said turbine and having a magnet movable about the axis of rotation of said rotor means; a pair of switches carried by said housing adjacent said rotor means and spaced from each other about the axis of rotation of said rotor means, the distances between the two switches about the axis of rotation of said rotor means being unequal, said switches being closable successively by the magnetic field of said magnet during each rotation of said rotor meansA for providing signals indicating the rate of ow of fluids through said turbine passage; one of switch means being connected in a circuit of greater resistance than the other; a tubular expansible packer mounted on said housing below said turbine and about a lower end portion of said housing, said lower end portion of said housing and the portion thereof below said packer being of smaller external diameter than the portions thereof above said packer, said packer and said housing providing a cylindrical packer ohamber; pump means mounted in .said` housing above said turbine passage; means for selectively transmitting tiuid pumped by said pump means from the exterior of said housing above said packer to said packer chamber to expand said packer and permitting ow of iiuids from said packer chamber; and magnetic shunt means carried by said housing between said switches for` shunting the magnetic eld of said magnet from said switches to cause them to open immediately upon movement of the magnet therepast.

2. A flow meter including: an elongate housing having a longitudinally extending turbine passage opening to the exterior of the housing at the lower end of said housing, said housing having a lateral port communicating said` turbine passage to the exterior of said housing intermediate longitudinally spaced ends of said turbine passage;

a turbine in said turbine passage rotatable by fluids ilowi ing through said turbine passage; rotor means mounted in said turbine passage out of the path of flow of fluids through said turbine passage, said rotor means being rotatable by said turbine; a magnet carried by said rotor means and movable about the axis of rotation of said rotor means by said rotor means; a pair of switches mounted on said housing adjacent said rotor means and in the path of movement of the magnetic field of said magnet, said switches being spaced from each other about the axis of rotation of said rotor, one distance between the two switches about the axis of rotation of said rotor means being shorter than the other distance between the two switches about said axis of rotation, said switches being closable successively by the magnetic iield of said magnet during each rotation of said rotor means for providing signals indicating the direction `and rate of flow of fluids through said turbine, at least one magnetic shunt means mounted on said housing between said switches at a location within said one distance between the two switches for shunting the magnetic field of said magnet from at least one of said switches to cause it to open immediately upon movement of the magnet therepast, one of said switches being connected in a circuit of greater resistance than the other; a tubular expansible packer mounted on said housing between said lateral port and the lower end of said housing, the lower end of said housing and the;

portion of said housing on which said packer is mounted being of smaller external diameter than the portions of the housing above said packer, said packer and said` housing providing a cylindrical packer chamber; pump` means mounted in said housing; and means for selectively transmitting iiuids pumped by said pump means from the exterior of said housing to said packer chamber to expand said packer and permit iiow of fluids from said packer chamber.

3. A ow meter including: an elongate housing hav-` passage above the inner end of said lateral port and out.

of the path of flow of fluids through said turbine passage, said rotor means being rotatable by said turbine; means carried by said housing and responsive to the rotation of said rotor means for providing signals indicating direction and rate of ow of fluids through said turbine passage, said housing having a lower end portion of reduced external diameter; a tubular expansible packer mounted on said housing below said turbine and about said lower end portion of said housing, said lower end portion of said housing and the portion of said housing below said packer being of smaller external diameter than the portions of the housing above said packer, said packer and said housing providing a cylindrical packer chamber; and pump means mounted in said housing above said turbine passage; said housing having bypass means providing a bypass passage from the exterior of said housing above said packer past said rotor means and said turbine to said packer chamber for transmitting fluid pumped by said pump means from the exterior of said housing to said packer chamber to expand said packer.

4. A tlow meter including: an elongate housing having a longitudinally extending turbine passage opening to the exterior of the housing at the lower end thereof, said housing having a lateral port communicating said turbine passage intermediate its ends with the exterior of said housing; a turbine in said turbine passage below said lateral port and rotatable by uids flowing through said turbine passage; rotor means mounted in said turbine passage above the inner end of said lateral port and out of the path of ow of fluids through said turbine passage, said rotor means being rotatable by said turbine; means carried by said housing and responsive to the rotation of said rotor means for providing signals indicating direction and rate of flow of uids through said turbine passage, said housing having a lower end portion of reduced external diameter; a tubular expansible packer mounted on said housing below said turbine and about said lower end portion of said housing, said lower end portion of said housing and portions of said housing below said packer being of smaller external diameter than the portions of the housing above said packer, said packer and said housingproviding a cylindrical packer chamber; and pump means mounted in said housing above said turbine passage; said housing having bypass means providing a bypass passage from the exterior of said housing above said packer past said rotor means and said turbine to said packer chamber for transmitting uid pumped by said pump means from the exterior of said housing to said packer chamber to expand said packer, said bypass means including a duct extending longitudinally in said turbine passage below said turbine and having a cross-sectional area substantially smaller than the cross-sectional area of said turbine passage whereby ow of fluids through the tubing passage is not obstructed by said duct.

5. A flow meter including: an elongate housing supportable at one end by a exible member having a pair of conductors insulated from one another, said housing having a longitudinally extending turbine passage opening to the exterior of the housing at the lower end thereof, said housing having a lateral port communicating said turbine passage intermediate its ends with the exterior of said housing; a turbine in said turbine passage below said lateral port and rotatable by fluids owing through Sad turbine Passage; rotor means mounted in said turbine passage above the inner end of said lateral port and out of the path of ilow of iluids through said turbine passage, said rotor means being rotatable by said turbine; a pair of switches carried by said housing adjacent said rotor means and spaced from each other about the axis of rotation of said rotor means, the distances between the two switches about the axis of rotation of said rotor means being unequal, said switches being connectable to said conductors and responsive to the rotation of said rotor means for providing signals indicating direction and rate of ilow of fluids through said turbine passage, said rotor means having a magnet, said switches being closable by the magnetic field of said rotor means as said rotor rotates therepast; a pair of spaced magnetic shunt means carried by said housing adjacent said rotor means and spaced from each other about the axis of rotation of said rotor means, each of said shunt means being located adjacent an associated switch and spaced therefrom a distance shorter than the distance from the other shunt means, said shunt means being located between said switches within the shorter distance between the two switches about the axis of rotation of said rotor means, said magnetic shunt means shunting the magnetic field of said magnet from said switches to prevent simultaneous closure of said switches, said housing having a lower end portion of reduced external diameter; a tubular expansible packer mounted on said housing below said turbine and about said lower end portion of said housing, said lower end portion of said housing and the portions thereof below said packer being of smaller external diameter than the portions of the housing above said packer, said packer and said housing providing a cylindrical packer chamber; pump means mounted in said housing above said turbine passage and energizable by current transmitted to the pump means through said conductors; and means for transmitting fluids pumped by said pump means from the exterior of said housing above said packer to said packer chamber to expand said packer, said switches being connectable in parallel across said conductors, one of said switches having a resistance connected in series therewith between said conductors whereby any circuit through said conductors and said one of said switches is of greater resistance than such circuit of the other of said switches.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,589,606 3/1952 Dunn 166-187 X 2,593,285 4/1952 Fay et al 73-155 2,822,688 2/ 1958 Wiley 73--229 X 2,856,006 10/1958 Buck et al.

2,935,615 5/1960 True 73-155 X 3,036,460 5/1962 White et al 73-231 X 3,162,738 12/ 1964 Abramson et al. 200-87 3,163,038 12/1964 Bryant 73-155 RICHARD C. QUEISSER, Primary Examiner.

E. D. GILHOQLY, Assistant Examiner, 

1. A FLOW METER INCLUDING: AN ELONGATE HOUSING HAVING A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING TURBINE PASSAGE OPENING TO THE EXTERIOR OF THE HOUSING AT THE LOWER END OF SAID HOUSING, SAID HOUSING HAVING A LATERAL PORT COMMUNICATING SAID TURBINE PASSAGE TO THE EXTERIOR OF SAID HOUSING INTERMEDIATE LONGITUDINALLY SPACED ENDS OF SAID TURBINE PASSAGE; A TURBINE IN SAID TURBINE PASSAGE BELOW SAID LATERAL PORT AND ROTATABLE BY FLUDS FLOWING THROUGH SAID TURBINE PASSAGE; ROTOR MEANS MOUNTED IN SAID TURBINE PASSAGE ABOVE THE INNER END OF SAID LATERAL PORT AND OUT OF THE PATH OF FLOW OF FLUIDS THROUGH SAID TURBINE PASSAGE, SAID ROTOR MEANS BEING ROTATABLE BY SAID TURBINE AND HAVING A MAGNET MOVABLE ABOUT THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF SAID ROTOR MEANS; A PAIR OF SWITCHES CARRIED BY SAID HOUSING ADJACENT SAID ROTOR MEANS AND SPACED FROM EACH OTHER ABOUT THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF SAID ROTOR MEANS, THE DISTANCES BETWEEN THE TWO SWITCHES ABOUT THE AXIS OF ROTATON OF SAID ROTOR MEANS BEING UNEQUAL, SAID SWITCHES BEING CLOSABLE SUCCESSIVELY BY THE MAGNETIC FIELD OF SAID MAGNET DURING EACH ROTATION OF SAID ROTOR MEANS FOR PROVIDING SIGNALS INDICATING THE RATE OF FLOW OF FLUIDS 